Akimbot preview: a crack in time

The Ratchet & Clank comparison slaps you in the face

Akimbot / Plaion

You play as an intergalactic fighter who is technologically savvy and can use a variety of wacky weapons. He’s humorous, but in a cool way, and looks pretty humanoid except for his long, cat-like ears. He’s accompanied by his small but cheerful robot companion, who helps you out as you explore the bizarre alien-looking yet familiar levels.

The levels consist of 3D platforming, taking down enemies, bartering with NPCs, and collecting items, all before you take on a futuristic boss. Some of the enemy placement or level design feels a bit frustrating, as if there are too many enemies, or there’s not enough time to pull off platforming without getting hurt, but otherwise, it’s pretty slick. I’m, of course, describing Akimbot. It’s right there in the title. Why is there another game on PS5 and PC with a heroic space-faring duo like this?

Akimbot / Plaion

Many critics don’t like to make comparisons between games because they only speak to your personal experience. People use phrases like “the Dark Souls of…” to mean difficult, because they don’t have the right vocabulary to describe it. Sometimes, a game looks so similar to something it feels impossible not to make the comparison. People called Palworld “Pokémon with guns” because of the barely legally distinct Pal designs, even though the games are in different genres.

Akimbot is Ratchet & Clank. It’s not “Ratchet & Clank with…”, it’s not “the Ratchet & Clank of…”, it’s just Ratchet & Clank. It’s so Ratchet & Clank that the series’ name is all over the marketing.

Akimbot / Plaion

I only had the chance to play one level of Akimbot during my 30-minute preview session, but the Ratchet & Clank comparison slaps you in the face. The protagonist, Exe, is shaped exactly like Ratchet, though he’s a little more metallic. He’s definitely more surly than Ratchet is, though it’s clearly in preparation for a redeeming character arc.

The graphics are bright and colorful, and Exe and his partner Shipset are always making sharp remarks at each other. Exe’s movement is very fluid. He has a double jump and dash that you can chain together in satisfying flourishes.

Akimbot / Plaion

Despite this, there are some level design sins. The level I played introduced some new concepts, like shooting down platforms, before abandoning them not long after. There was a cute cutscene where I could choose my first weapon, but literally two minutes later, Shipset provided me with a different gun that could do multiple platforming tasks and also dealt more damage.

The final boss was in a spaceship – which is hard enough to aim at – but it also frequently puts up a shield or disappears, so you have to dodge attacks for a while before you can hit it again.

Akimbot / Plaion

That isn’t to say Akimbot is a bad game. At the end of the day, it’s Ratchet & Clank, a series that has millions of fans and is generally very good. If you like Ratchet & Clank, you’ll like Akimbot, because they are essentially the same, but in the way that Traveller’s Tales’ Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex is essentially the same as the original Naughty Dog trilogy.

All the hallmarks are there, they look the same, and they play functionally similar, but there aren’t any new or innovative ideas here.